A Different Path Part 2 It had all started with a simple change of sleeping locations. A single bed where there were supposed to be two. So two young officers who were used to sleeping nude, became used to sleeping together, and making love nightly. Such a change is not without consequences. Sometimes a simple change has far reaching results. This was one of them. Marrissa Picard and Wesley Crusher have started something that they never considered. Marrissa laid back on the medical diagnostic bed. It was time for her annual physical. Doctor Beverly Picard, a.k.a. Mom, was handling it. The Doctor's seven months of pregnancy were evident now, despite attempts to hide it under the lab robe. "So, Marrissa, how long have you been having sex?" the Doctor asked. "About three months," Marrissa said meekly. "Well, you probably should have come in for some birth control, especially considering your high Greer-Hanson Fertility Rating,," the Doctor said. "Because, you are three months pregnant." "I can't be," Marrissa said. "Shouldn't I have noticed something by now?" "A high Greer-Hanson usually indicates that a woman will suffer fewer side effects during pregnancy," the Doctor said. "Now, I have one question. Did Wesley push you into this?" "No, it kinda just happened," Marrissa said. "One of the guys in the quartermaster's office replaced our beds with a single king-sized bed. We didn't want to raise a fuss and let them know that their joke worked. I never found out who did it. Anyway we kinda just let things happen. And once we started having sex, we couldn't stop." "Well, there is nothing I can do about it, now," the Doctor said. "Except make sure you get all the care you need. I want to see you once a month for the next couple months, then every other week until your last month." "Okay," Marrissa said. "May I go now? I've got an appointment with Dad to go riding." "You'll have to start cutting down on that soon," the Doctor said. "I'd tell him about your forthcoming blessing." "I'd like to tell Wesley first, but if I don't tell Dad now, I'm sure you'll ruin it for me." "Well, he intends to invite you to dinner tonight, and that should give you an hour to break the news to Wesley before dinner," the Doctor said. "I can hold off that long." "Wesley?" Marrissa called as she entered Stellar Cartography. She spied him in the corner, going over the latest sensor data. "Yes, Marrissa," Wesley said, turning around. "We need to talk, alone," Marrissa said, looking around the room. "Come in to my office," Wesley said, leading her though a door. It closed behind them. "If it's about the device I left on the table, I'm sorry about it phasing your tiara out. It should reappear in a couple hours." "No, it's not about that," Marrissa said. "I think you might want to sit down." Wesley sat down. "I'm having a baby." "But you're only thirteen," Wesley sputtered. "Even a thirteen-year-old will get pregnant if she has sex every night for three months," Marrissa said. "Especially one whose been having periods for over four years and is more fertile than of almost all of her species." "We never really thought about that, did we," Wesley said. "No, but we still have to deal with the results," Marrissa replied. "And I want to have this baby." "I have no problems with that, but you do realize that this is going to change your life," Wesley said. "You won't be able to do those long shifts. You'll have to take care of your child before you can do anything fun." "Don't think you're getting out of this easy, Wesley," Marrissa said. "You fathered this child on me, and I expect you to help raise it." "I'll help you," Wesley said. "I just want to make sure you know what you are getting into." "I'm not sure, but I'm not letting it stop me," Marrissa said. "It won't stop you, but a baby will change you," Wesley said. "I know," Marrissa said. "We've got dinner at the Captain's Quarters, tonight. I'm not sure how to tell Dad." "I assume Mom already knows?" Wesley said. "She did my physical today," Marrissa said. Captain Jean-Luc Picard found dinner to be strangely quiet. Usually there was some verbal abuse between Wesley and Marrissa. Well not really abuse, friendly joking might be a better description. Beverly would take Wesley's side, most of the time, and he took Marrissa's, except for when it was clearly a battle of the sexes. Today the chat was absent. That wasn't the only thing that was different. Wesley was treating Marrissa like fine china. Marrissa hadn't chosen her own meal, instead Beverly had placed one of her double portion meals in front of Marrissa. Marrissa had also been rather quiet during their ride earlier that day. It was almost like... "Do you two have something to tell me?" Jean-Luc asked. Marrissa looked first at Wesley, then at Beverley, and finally down at her hands. "I'm pregnant," she said. "I see," Jean-Luc said. "And when did this happen?" "About three months ago," Marrissa said. "But I didn't find out until today." "I assume that Wesley is the father," Jean-Luc said. Marrissa nodded. Jean-Luc was angry, but tried not to let it show. "I knew I shouldn't have let you two move in together." "Dad, it's not that bad," Marrissa said. "And it wouldn't have happened if someone hadn't switched our two beds with one King-sized one. "That's no excuse," Jean-Luc said. "You do realize that you're going to have to cut back your duties now." "Not until I have to," Marrissa said. "And who determines that?" Jean-Luc said. "I do," Marrissa said. "Wrong, I do," Beverly said. "And the horse riding stops now." That night, Wesley scooted away from Marrissa when she went to snuggle up to him. For the first time in over three months, he wore his boxers to bed. Marrissa was not pleased. "Wesley, don't you love me anymore?" she asked. "No, I just think we shouldn't be doing this anymore," Wesley said, facing away from her. "Wesley, it's not like I can get any more pregnant, and if you don't want to have sex anymore, I understand," Marrissa said. "But could you at least hold me? You're making me feel so alone." "Okay, Marrissa," Wesley said, sliding back over, but keeping his boxers on. "I don't want make you feel alone, and I do love you. I'm just a little worried that I've harmed you." "You didn't," Marrissa said, embracing her older brother. Every week or so, Clara stopped by for breakfast at Wesley and Marrissa's quarters. She was aware that the two had sex every once in a while. It didn't bother her, after all, it wasn't like they were blood relatives, and frankly it had relaxed Marrissa a little bit, made her more secure in what she was. So, it didn't surprise her when she entered the quarters to discover Marrissa naked trying to get a hair barrette from an equally nude Wesley. The ejaculate leaking from Marrissa's vagina didn't surprise her, nor did the playful teasing that Wesley was doing as he held her barrette way out of her reach. That wasn't what caused Clara to drop her engineer's kit. What Wesley said did. "Are you sure you should be jumping around like this, now that you're pregnant?" Wesley said. "No, so give me my barrette!" Marrissa replied, as Clara's kit hit the floor and opened, spilling the contents all over the floor. They both turned to look at Clara, upon hearing the kit hit the floor. Wesley handed over the barrette. "I better get dressed first," he said. "I think Clara has some questions." Clara looked up from where she was repacking her kit to find her still nude friend at her side. "Did Wesley say what I think he said?" she asked. "About me being pregnant, yes," Marrissa said. "I just found out yesterday." Clara sat up. "How?" "Well, if you have sex every night for months, it's kinda hard not to get pregnant," Marrissa said. "I thought you said you only did it every once in a while," Clara remarked. "I lied," Marrissa smiled. "You lied?" Clara said, shocked. "I didn't want to admit how much I did it, and I was afraid of what you'd think," Marrissa admitted, as she slid her barrette in place. "So how far along are you," Clara asked, as Marrissa put on her underwear. "Three months," Marrissa replied, adjusting her bra strap. "Three months and you just now found out?" Clara said, placing the last item back in the kit. "Okay, I'm totally oblivious to the signs my body was giving me," Marrissa replied, pulling on her uniform pants. "I never can keep track of when my periods happen, and I figured I'd have morning sickness or something like that." "And of course, you end up being one of those fortunate few who don't have it," Clara remarked. "Marrissa, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you have all the luck." "If I had all the luck, I wouldn't be pregnant," Marrissa said, straightening her yellow turtleneck before reaching for her uniform shirt. Marrissa nervously entered the Captain's ready room. This would be the first time she'd talked with her father alone since she'd told him about her pregnancy. It was supposed to be a routine state of ship's security report, like the 19 others she'd given since she became Chief of Security. She suspected that this one would be different. Captain Picard looked up after reading her report. "So Lieutenant Offiong isn't working out?" he said. "Absolutely no command ability," Marrissa said. "He's a perfect subordinate, and his tactical, marksmanship, and unarmed combat marks are some of the best on the ship. However, I just don't think he has the ability to lead outside of the crisis situation that gained his promotion for him. I just can't figure out why." "Well, you do need a good second in Security, so I'll approve his transfer," Jean-Luc said. "I've talked with Captain DeSoto of the Hood. It seems he's got some enthusiastic ensigns just on the edge of promotion that he doesn't know what to do with." "Tell him I'll trade his security chief for five of them, in exchange for Offiong and four officers to be named later," Marrissa said. "I'm desperate." "I imagine that your condition has changed your outlook on your department," Jean-Luc offered. It was rather hard for the Captain not to continue on with comments on how stupid she was for getting in that condition. "Before, I could stand to draw out Offiong's talent," Marrissa sighed. "Now, I need an able second for when the Doctor starts restricting me, and I have no idea how much time I've got before she does." "Beverly does tend to be overly cautious with her patients," Jean-Luc said. "Overly cautious?" Marrissa said. "I seem to recall that you got confined to Sickbay for a whole day when you sprained your ankle falling off a horse." "Horse riding scares Beverly," Jean-Luc said. "And I suggest you pay close attention to every restriction she give you, or she will make things worse." "I'm pregnant, not an invalid," Marrissa muttered. "The two are not mutually exclusive, Marrissa," Jean-Luc said. "I'm not exactly happy about this turn of events, but you got yourself into them, and so far you seem to be handling things rather well." "Wesley's been a big help," Marrissa said. "That may be, but your actions are going to make the next six months either undemanding, or full of chaffing restrictions and problems." "I know," Marrissa said, softly, "but I don't like it when I'm not in control of my life." "You should have thought about that, before you started having sex with Wesley." "It happened, now I have to live with it. Is there anything else?" "No, but I'd like you to know that my door will always be open if you need to talk." "I know." Dinner in Wesley and Marrissa's quarters was very rarely quiet. A lively discussion on various subjects was nearly always on the menu. Tonight, like the night before, the topic was their upcoming child. As Marrissa consumed her large portion of rice, she lifted her fork to make a point. "I know I have to stop my unarmed martial arts training, but I can't see why your mother restricted me from even entering the gym," Marrissa said. "Mom knows you too well," Wesley said. "She knows you'll end up sparring with someone, and until she can make sure everyone knows not to, that restriction is going to hold." "Everyone on the ship is going to know about it by the end of the week, aren't they?" Marrissa said. "With Mom on the job, there is no way you're going to avoid that," Wesley said. "Already I've gotten some comments from my staff on the matter. You seem to be a good catch." "Of course I am," Marrissa said, with a smile. "I am a Princess after all." Then she looked back down at her plate, and her smile vanished. "But I really don't like my mistakes being broadcast all over the ship." "Marrissa, it's not a mistake," Wesley said. "It's an unexpected blessing." "You aren't the one whose going to gain weight, and go through labor," Marrissa replied. "All of that at way too young of an age. I won't even be out of my teens when the baby starts attending school. The way you're taking it, we should add Abigail, meaning 'my father is joyful' to the list of names." "I'll add it," Wesley said. "How come you haven't suggested any male names?" "Do you think I'd leave Sickbay without getting all the information, first?" Marrissa asked. "I know sex, hair color, and even the fact that she'll share my violet eyes." "You know, knowing too much takes all the fun out," Wesley said. "You've got to have some surprises in life to make things interesting." "Having a baby is enough of a surprise to last me for quite some time, Wes," Marrissa said.